Chapter 136
Sianor, writhing in agony, toppled backward.
Blood gushed endlessly from the severed stumps.
Yet not a single drop of that noble blood was wasted.
Every bit was absorbed into the pattern without exception.
The pattern began to ravenously gulp down the Holy King’s divine power.
It was a divine power far stronger than the combined might of the previous holy knights.
The pattern, greedily sucking in the divine power and pouring it into Hailon, suddenly flashed with light.
Had it surpassed its limits?
A sound like scraping metal pierced through the eardrums.
At the same time, the pattern on the floor cracked open with a sharp snap.
The light faded, and silence descended.
The Chains of Condemnation that had filled the surroundings also vanished.
The quiet that settled over the white space was eerie.
“……”
Hailon breathed raggedly.
He raised his body, which was twitching faintly in spasms.
He nearly fell several times but managed to stand at last.
He drew in a slow breath, then wiped the blood obscuring his vision with the back of his hand.
With an expressionless face, he slowly shifted his gaze.
He looked at the unconscious Sianor, the seven dead holy knights, and the surviving Daren.
It seemed Daren had also been caught in the rampage of the Chains of Condemnation and sustained injuries.
Blood flowed from the wound that had appeared beneath his eye.
Daren stared blankly at Hailon.
Seeing the blood-soaked body and the wings scattered at his feet, Daren’s face twisted.
A pained groan escaped his parted lips.
Tears mixed with blood streamed down his cheeks in red trails.
The sound of weeping spread through the silent white space.
It was a lament like a dirge for the dead.
Yet Hailon could not cry.
Unlike the sobbing Daren, he simply stood there, staring at the deceased.
As if he had forgotten how to weep.
“The prince of Hebaton is said to be receiving education today.”
Daren narrowed his eyes slightly and continued.
“That young prince must already be at his limit. And it doesn’t seem like he has enough talent in divine power to cause any abnormal phenomena.”
He spoke indifferently, saying someone might end up dead at this rate, then glanced up at the sky.
“Oh… It looks like it’s going to rain.”
Indeed, the sky was overcast.
With gray-tinged clouds and humid, damp air.
It seemed raindrops would start pattering down any moment.
Daren, who had been looking at the sky, let out a faint sigh.
The thought of training in the rain brought an involuntary exhale.
The knights already waiting in the training yard seemed to share the sentiment.
Those who had been grumbling while staring at the sky straightened their postures as soon as Hailon and Daren appeared.
Eyes filled with awe turned toward Hailon in unison.
Daren felt a proud swell in his chest and smiled without realizing it.
At the same time, he glanced at Hailon beside him.
Hailon was as expressionless as ever.
But his blue eyes were sunk a bit deeper than usual.
‘Because of the Hebaton prince, perhaps.’
Daren quietly swallowed his bitterness.
Whenever matters involving education were tied in, even the impassive Hailon became sensitive.
‘Since seven died.’
The seven holy knights sacrificed in the education had been comrades who trained together since their apprentice days.
Hilderd did not discriminate based on status.
But invisible lines clearly existed.
Those who had been nobles and those who had been commoners did not mix.
The Holy Empire also subtly managed them separately.
The knights who associated with Hailon were all so-called ‘lowly ones.’
To reduce the number of mouths to feed, orphans with nowhere to go, to pay off family debts…
These people, each with their varied circumstances, were desperate.
That’s why, when Holy King Sianor spoke of ‘sacrifice for the greater good.’
Promising vast compensation and mentioning their families, no one could resist the Holy King.
They all meekly became offerings of divine power.
From the moment one belonged to the Holy Empire, even their corpse was dedicated to Hilderd.
The white mineral used to make the holy knights’ sacred swords, produced only in the Holy Empire, was made from the bones of deceased saints.
But using corpses and offering living sacrifices were entirely different matters.
‘It was all a tragedy born of the Holy King’s greed…’
The Holy King had bestowed the Chains of Condemnation upon Hailon.
Fastening the holy relic that no one could wield onto his wrist, he demanded divine power sufficient to control it.
Hailon’s divine power had been increasing every year.
If they had waited just a few more years.
He would have been able to handle the Chains of Condemnation adequately without committing such horrific acts.
But the Holy King forcibly infused divine power into Hailon, who had just come of age.
All to create a new holy relic for himself.
When divine power exceeding limits is infused into someone with exceptional talent in it.
A phenomenon called a miracle of God occurs.
Namely, the sprouting of wings.
That was used as material to craft the Holy Empire’s holy relics.
Thus, the Holy King offered the holy knights as living sacrifices to infuse divine power, and Hailon produced eight wings.
It was an outcome far superior to what the Holy King had aimed for.
However, he gained nothing.
That day, the Holy King lost most of his divine power at Hailon’s hands, lost both arms, and came to wear prosthetics.
Daren, the only one among the sacrificed holy knights to survive, left the scar on his face untouched as a reminder of that day.
And Hailon, who had devoured the lives of seven…
Tried to die.
“My life isn’t worth the sacrifice of seven.”
At that time, Hailon had only just reached adulthood.
Even he, so indifferent to others, could not remain unmoved before the deaths of comrades he had been with for so long.
‘That’s why he went to the witch.’
He went to the witch Lichesia to ask her to kill him, but for some reason, he returned alive.
‘Thinking about that, I do feel grateful to the witch.’
It was while he was deeply mulling over that long-past event alone.
“Daren.”
At the short call, Daren snapped out of his reverie.
“I’m sorry.”
He had let his mind wander too far.
Daren offered a brief apology and straightened his back.
It was as Hailon was scanning the knights lined up before him with an indifferent gaze.
“…!”
He suddenly widened his eyes.
He wasn’t the only one surprised.
Gasps of shock erupted here and there.
Flowers bloomed in the air.
A rich fragrance spread from the vibrantly blossoming petals.
The flowers, scattering dazzling sparkles along with them, were bloomed by fairy power.
Hailon reached out toward the flowers as if entranced.
Emerging from amid the profuse blooms was a tiny baby.
The adorable infant looked at Hailon with large pink eyes.
Daren murmured in astonishment.
“…Isn’t that the little lady?”
The fact that Cheshire Basilian was a fairy was already known across the continent.
But using her power so boldly within the Holy Empire was ill-advised.
Count Basilian must have firmly warned her, and she herself seemed not to use her power recklessly.
So why she had so openly used her power, and appeared right in front of where all the holy knights were gathered, was beyond comprehension.
While the startled holy knights gaped wide-eyed at the tiny baby.
Hailon hurriedly parted the flowers, pulled the child out, and embraced her in his arms.
The child clung to Hailon as if she had been waiting.
And the moment their eyes met.
She burst into tears.
“……”
Hailon froze solid.
At a loss for what to do in his panic, he first tried to wipe her tears but couldn’t.
The child pounded his chest with her tiny fists and wailed uncontrollably.
“You idiot! Fool…!”
Hailon, abruptly cursed at out of nowhere, simply gazed down at the child.
He watched her sobbing bitterly, heartbroken and sorrowful, tears streaming down, then murmured cautiously.
“…I don’t know why you’re like this, but.”
His large hand gently cupped the child’s small cheek.
To the flushed-faced child hiccupping, he offered an apology for reasons unknown.
“I’m sorry.”
At that, the child began to cry even harder.
